Timeshare Trends Blog

White Oak Lodge and Resort has just earned an RCI Gold Crown designation. Global Connections has announced that its White Oak Lodge and Resort has been awarded this prestigious designation. Located practically at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, this property features a fireplace, barbecue grills, nature trails, tennis courts, exercise room, playground, and apparently outstanding personal service.

Bookmark To:

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the top business story in Orlando in 2010 was the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando, which opened in June. As the top business story, Harry Potter was Orlando’s economic salve boosting Universal’s attendance by 37 percent and it put heads in hotel beds for miles around, which had the added benefit of increasing local tourist tax collections by double-digit percentages. Harry Potter also gave Disney World some heartburn because its summer attendance remained flat and in some reports attendance was reported to be down by almost 6 percent. People flocked to town presumably under Harry’s spell.

Bookmark To:

While highlighting its significant market opportunities and competitive advantages, Marriott International has informed security analysts and institutional investors in New York, that its earnings per share of stock could hit well above the highest earnings achieved during Marriott’s most recent peak earnings year of 2007. The company expects to add at least 80,000 to 90,000 hotel rooms to its portfolio from 2011 through 2013 with additional opportunities for 22,000 rooms to open in Europe and Asia during that same period. Marriott has plans to adapt and expand current brands, such as Courtyard and Fairfield, to meet the growing needs of customers in markets worldwide. The company will also be expanding its new brands outside of the United States, including Edition, which just opened its first hotel on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii. Marriott is also successful in the high-end timeshare market.

Bookmark To:

Starwood Vacation Ownership has expanded its Sheraton Vistana Villages, located on the south end of world-famous International Drive in Orlando. The current expansion phase includes 200 new villas, a new swimming pool complex, a new recreation building that will house a second fitness center, game room and arcade, as well as an activities desk with sports, pool games and equipment. The Sheraton Vistana Villages is the second Sheraton vacation ownership property located in Orlando. The first property is the Sheraton Vistana Resort, one of the Orlando’s largest timeshare properties.

Bookmark To:

Harris Rosen has been inducted into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame. Announced at the 43rd annual Florida Governors Conference on Tourism, the award was bestowed upon Mr. Rosen for his contributions to the industry. Among his contributions, he supported construction of the Orange County Convention Center, donated 20 acres of land to create and build the University of Central Florida’s School of Hospitality Management, he owns and operates seven properties in Orlando including the Rosen Shingle Creek, Rosen Plaza, and Rosen Centre.

Bookmark To:

A new timeshare expansion is planned in Myrtle Beach. Two new projects at Grande Dunes, an upscale 2,200-acre residential and golf community that stretches from the oceanfront to west of the Intracoastal Waterway is up for review by the city of Myrtle Beach, marking the first significant new development in the area since the economic downturn. A 187-unit, single-family home subdivision and an oceanfront condo tower have been proposed. The tower project is a 16-story, 125-unit condo timeshare project, to be located on oceanfront land next to the Dunes Club. The final plan will consist of three towers with about 500 units on 4 acres with an ocean of pools, open areas and a potential restaurant.

Bookmark To: